As if it wasn't enough to be the top ranking member of both the Texas House & Senate to file the most pro-gun bills this session, Texas Representative Suzanna Hupp has now shown great courage & conviction by introducing HISTORICAL HB 3398, VERMONT CARRY for the Great Lone Star State of Texas! This is a proud day for Texas!

Patterned after Vermont's successful Right to Carry Law -- simply states law-abiding citizens may carry a firearm for any reason except the commission of a crime.

In Vermont, there are no restrictions to carrying concealed: No state permission slip, no fee for the permit, no fingerprints, no government mandatory training and no government imposed waiting period. With such a law, Vermont is consistently rated one of the safest states in the country.

HB 3398 does away with charging a fee just to exercise the right to carry concealed. These fees are nothing more than a tax, a tax on self-defense.

And under HB 3398, law-abiding Texans will not be treated like common criminals by being fingerprinted, photographed, registered with the government, required to get permission or mandatory government training in order to exercise a constitutionally protected right.

History proves time-and-again issuing permits leads to government abuses. For example officials:

   A) Refuse to issue -- In New York City Officials routinely deny gun permits because ordinary citizens are in no
        greater need for protection than anyone else in the city. Plus, authorities have even refused to issue permits 
        when the courts have ordered them issued.

   B) Require fingerprints -- Currently, in Texas and other  states law-abiding gun owners applying for concealed
      carry permits are treated like common criminals forced  to submit to FBI fingerprinting and background
      investigations -- and all information is stored in  Clinton's FBI computer files.

   C) Print licensee holders' names and addresses in newspapers:  In several states, newspapers routinely print
        "public  information" on concealed carry permit holders.

Plus, officials can "raise the hurdles" in order to get a permit.  The power to license a right is the power to destroy a right:

   * Mandatory Training -- Officials often design mandatory   training requirements that force applicants to shoot
     like an Olympian and endure expensive and time-consuming  training; training many poor and elderly citizens
     cannot  afford or pass.

   * Prohibitive and Arbitrary Fee Increases -- Any carry  concealed permit fee amounts to a tax on your right to
     self-defense. Anti-gunners then work to raise fees too  high for many law-abiding citizens. For example in 1994,
     the Clinton Administration pushed for a license fee  increase of almost 1,000% on gun dealers. According to
     U.S. News & World Report, the administration was seeking  the increase "in hopes of driving many of
     America's  258,000 licensed gun dealers out of business."

   * Arbitrary Delays -- Even though some states require  applications to be responded to within thirty days, delays
     of ninety days are routine. Sometimes, delays  last for several years.

However, with HB 3398 there are no fees, so fees cannot be raised.  There are no permits, so officials cannot "raise the hurdles" or  refuse to issue them. And there are no permit lists, so  confiscation  and invasion of privacy is much more difficult.

We need to call Representative Suzanna Hupp, and thank her for  taking a stand for all of Texas and the Nation! Let her know you  will be fighting to pass HB 3398!

Her phone # is: 512-463-0684

E-mail address: Suzanna.Hupp@house.state.tx.us

  EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN TEXAS, HELP US PASS HB 3398 FOR THERE  IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. THE PASSAGE OF THIS BILL CAN ONLY HELP IN  PASSING SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN YOUR STATE.

Call Speaker of the Texas House, Pete Laney at (512) 463-1000,  and tell him to move HB 3398 to the "Traditional" committee,  the Pubic Safety Committee ASAP for a hearing!

Call your Representatives and express your support for Rep.  Hupp's bill above, and tell them to co-sponsor HB 3398!

You can get your Representatives number by going to:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/house/byzip.htm

To email ANY house member, the general rule is this:

first-name.last-name@house.state.tx.us

Example: Charles.Jones@house.state.tx.us

  We need sponsors for this bill in the Texas Senate! Please  call your Texas Senator! If you do not know your Senators name  and number, go to:

http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Members.htm

and ask him/her to sponsor HB 3398! SWITCHBOARD # 512-463-2000
 

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Be sure to report to us the results you get when calling or  e-mailing your Texas Legislator, and we will report your
success back to this email list!